He disputed that the mum’s children being taken into care or her house move were solely down to Crutchley’s actions.

He added there had been no trouble since last October.

Judge Peter Armstrong said the court could not pass comment on the sexual allegations as they had not been tried.

He said: “These matters always divide opinion.

“The courts realise that and do their best to deal with these matters in as calm a way as can be done.

“It caused such heightened emotion... that you decided and started to take it out on the mother of this child.

“You over-reacted and you describe your own behaviour as disgusting.

“It’s unlikely that anything like this will happen again. This is out of character for you.”

He gave Crutchley a six-month prison sentence suspended for two years with a year’s supervision.

Crutchley was given an indefinite restraining order banning him from assaulting, threatening, intimidating, contacting, approaching, harassing, alarming, distressing, molesting or communicating with three people, or damaging their property.